Long Beach City College WRSC
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Description/Illustration
Prepared by Theresa Yonker
Nearly all essays include some elements of description and illustration. They make
your essay vivid, interesting, and clearer to the reader.
Description can make an event more vivid:
I will never forget my mother’s flashing eyes, narrowed lips, and furrowed
brow when she was angry.
Anger was present in my mother’s face.
The first example above is more interesting and vivid because it is more visually
concrete.
Description can also make an event more clear.
The first sentence below is satisfactory, but description can clarify that mixture of
emotions:
I love and fear the ocean at the same time.
The force of the waves crashing down upon the sand fills me with awe, but I
also know I could be flattened by their power.
Illustration is an example or specific instance that supports a point in a descriptive
manner. Illustration also clarifies a point and makes it more vivid and interesting:
“The Method” is a technique of acting taught by a famous teacher of drama,
Lee Strasberg, in which actors use their own emotions, from their own
experiences for inspiration. Marilyn Monroe, a pupil of Strasberg’s, used to
dwell on memories of her sad childhood in order to call up the necessary
tears for a scene. Specifically, Monroe said she thought of being taken to a
home for orphans and left there by her mother. Such a memory invariably
resulted in tears, whatever the character she was playing.
The example of Marilyn Monroe illustrates “The Method,” and Monroe’s
abandonment as a child illustrates the phrase “sad childhood.”
Remember that a reader can only get as much information as you provide. The
more specific you are, the more the reader receives. Good description and
illustration help you make your interpretation of a broad term like “nice” or “sad”
more clear. If someone was setting you up on a blind date, wouldn’t you want to
know more than that they were a “nice” person? Illustration and description
answer the question: What do you mean?
Long Beach City College WRSC
Page 2 of 2
Assignment
1. Revise one of your essays, adding description/illustration.
2. Choose one of the following two options, consciously incorporating
description and illustration. Make sure you illustrate those emotions with
examples and describe the place and your reactions vividly:
a. Some places have the power to raise within us deep emotional
reactions. As a result, these places become symbolic of those
emotions, and we often seek them out when we wish to experience
those feelings. Such emotions as serenity and contentment or energy
and excitement are enjoyable. On the other hand, sometimes a place
may inspire a strong emotion that is unpleasant, such as fear, anxiety,
or depression. For example, one person might find the isolation of the
desert serene, while another might find its vast space lonely. Write
about a place that inspires such strong emotion within you.
b. Write about a person who has greatly influenced you. This person
might have influenced you in a positive way by positive example. On
the other hand, this person might have influenced you by negative
example. For example, you might have been influenced by a friend
who talks about selflessness and then practices that selflessness in
some way. Or you might be influenced by a friend you see who is in
trouble, acting in a way that convinces you to do the opposite. You
might also be influenced by someone you do not know, such as an
artist, writer, or musician you admire, a great figure from history, a
sports star, or any other media figure who motivates you.